1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet-like member processing apparatus having a plurality of loading regions loaded with cassettes storing sheet-like members and a single movable sheet feeder for removing the sheet-like member from one of the cassettes loaded in the respective loading regions, and a method of handling a sheet-like member in such a sheet-like member processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is known a system for recording radiation image information of a subject such as a human body with a stimulable phosphor, and reproducing the recorded radiation image information on a photosensitive medium such as a photographic film, or displaying the recorded radiation image information on a display device such as a CRT or the like.
When a radiation energy such as X-rays, .alpha.-rays, .gamma.-rays, electron beams, ultraviolet radiation, or the like is applied to a certain phosphor, it stores part of the applied radiation energy. When stimulating light such as visible light is subsequently applied to the phosphor, the phosphor emits light depending on the stored radiation energy. Such a phosphor is referred to as a stimulable phosphor. A stimulable phosphor is usually used in the form of a sheet which is referred to as a stimulable phosphor sheet (sheet-like member).
The above known system includes an image information reading apparatus (sheet-like member processing apparatus) which comprises a reading unit for reading image information recorded on a stimulable phosphor sheet, and an erasing unit for erasing remaining image information from the stimulable phosphor sheet after the recorded image information has been read. In the image information reading apparatus, a cassette housing a stimulable phosphor sheet which bears radiation image information of a subject recorded by an external exposure device is inserted into a loading region, or a plurality of such cassettes are inserted into respective loading regions.
Thereafter, the lid of the cassette is opened, and then the stimulable phosphor sheet is taken out of the cassette by a sheet feeding mechanism. The stimulable phosphor sheet is delivered to the reading unit by a sheet delivering mechanism. In the reading unit, the recorded image information is read from the stimulable phosphor sheet, and then remaining image information is erased from the stimulable phosphor sheet in the erasing unit, after which the stimulable phosphor sheet is placed into the cassette which has been disposed in the loading region.
Image information reading apparatus which have a plurality of loading regions also have a movable sheet feeder vertically movable into alignment with a desired one of the loading regions. When the movable sheet feeder is positioned in alignment with the cassette in a desired one of the loading regions, a sheet feeding mechanism such as suction cups or the like of the movable sheet feeder removes the stimulable phosphor sheet from the cassette into the image information reading apparatus.
After a stimulable phosphor sheet is removed from one of the cassettes by the movable sheet feeder, the recorded image information is read from the stimulable phosphor sheet, and then remaining image information is erased from the stimulable phosphor sheet, which is then delivered back into the cassette. While the stimulable phosphor sheet is thus being processed, the unprocessed stimulable phosphor sheets need to wait in the other cassettes loaded in the respective loading regions. Therefore, a considerable wait time is required to be consumed until a next unprocessed stimulable phosphor sheet starts being processed after the processing of the preceding stimulable phosphor sheet has ended. For this reason, the conventional image information reading apparatus with plural loading regions have a relatively low sheet processing capability per unit time.